The Brigantine Yankee On The Reef At Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands Photo by Bill Johnson - Copyrighted

On the 23 July 1964 the Yankee was anchored off Avarua, Rarotonga when a gale blow up during the very early hours of the morning and she started dragging her anchor and within a matter of hours, she had drafted on to the northern edge of the reef at Avarua, Rarotonga, in the Cook Islands.
A couple of attempts were made at trying to get her off the reef by using blocks and tackle and a D6 Bulldozer from inside the lagoon, and with the help of local Cook Islanders and crew members, they came close to getting her near to the edge of the reef and hopefully re-floating the Yankee. However, more bad weather came in and once again pushed the Yankee still further back onto the reef. The Yankee was unable to be re-floated and was abandoned on the reef at Rarotonga.
Sadly to say, I had the privilege of being one of the last people to see the Yankee still afloat and at anchor in Rarotonga, just two days before she met her fate. The rest was history for the Beautiful World Famous Brigantine Yankee.
This photograph was taken two years later and a very similar photograph was used by National Geographic Magazine in an article published in August 1967.